Bag attachment device for breastpump

ABSTRACT

An attachment arrangement is disclosed for attaching a milk collecting bag to a breastpump assembly. In one form this includes an adaptor having mounting ears upon which portions of a bag with apertures therein are hung to suspend the bag in place below the breastpump assembly.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 12/853,644, filed Aug. 10, 2010. The entire disclosure contentsof this application are herewith incorporated by reference into thepresent application.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a device for releasably attaching a milkreceiving bag to a breastpump, and to the bag that is connected to thebreastpump by the device.

BACKGROUND

Breastmilk pumps are well known and are generally comprised of a hood orshield that fits over a portion or the entire breast, a vacuum pumpconnected to the hood for generating an intermittent pressure variationwithin the hood, and a receptacle or container for the expressed milk.The receptacle in such an arrangement is often a rigid plastic feedingbottle well known to those in the art. It is also known to use a plasticbag as the receptacle, sometimes in combination with a rigid outer shellsupporting the bag. There are manually driven vacuum pumps (e.g.,handheld piston pumps) which most commonly connect at or closelyadjacent to the hood, as well as vacuum pumps that are driven by anelectric motor and interconnect to the hood via tubing. The vacuum pumpsof these devices intermittently generate a pressure, most typically avacuum (or a negative pressure) within the hood, with the hoodencompassing the nipple and a substantial amount of the breast. Theintermittent suction action of the pump serves to pull on and/orcompress the breast, drawing it within the narrowing funnel of the hood,to thereby express milk in an action reminiscent of suckling. The milkso extracted typically flows from the hood into a container, e.g., abottle or a bag, for storage and later use. A breastpump of theforegoing type is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,857,051.

As noted, plastic bags have been proposed and adapted for use with abreastpump to function in the above-described manner. The method ofusing and storing these types of bags are well-documented as are theadvantages. See for instance, U.S. patent Publication No. 2002/0156419.Where bags are used independently of a bottle, this eliminates the needto then transfer milk from a container (bottle) to a plastic bag forstorage. The presence of the bag makes unnecessary the step of cleaninga container after use. Attaching the bag to the pump in a simple andstraightforward manner for the mother is something worthy of achieving,however.

SUMMARY

The present invention in one embodiment provides a breastpump having abreast shield with a first end for placement on a breast and a secondend for connection to an attachment device. The attachment device in oneform is an adaptor having at least one mounting ear (or hook), and usesa milk collection bag having an aperture that connects to the at leastone mounting ear. The adaptor attaches to the standard breastpumpassembly much the same as a bottle would, e.g., by matching screwthreads. The adaptor serves to suspend the bag open at the top directlybeneath the conduit structure of the breastpump assembly, through whichmilk flows, such that the milk flows into the open bag.

The attachment device in a preferred form is an adaptor connectable tothe breastpump having mounting ears on opposite sides. In anotherembodiment, the ears are formed as part of a modified breastpumpassembly. A bag having apertures adapted to connect to the mounting earsallows the bag to be easily attached and removed from the adaptor.

In yet another embodiment, a bag for collecting mother's milk isprovided including front and back sides, each of the front and backsides having an aperture therein for use in hanging the bag from theattachment device.

In yet another embodiment, a method for attaching a milk bag to abreastpump is disclosed, the method including providing an adaptorhaving mounting ears, providing a bag having apertures adapted to engageover the mounting ears, first putting one mounting ear through a bagaperture, and then putting the other mounting ear through another bagaperture, and attaching the adaptor to the breastpump assembly (eitherbefore or after the bag is mounted), with the bag open beneath a conduitstructure through which milk passes.

These and other features and advantages of the present invention will befurther understood and appreciated when considered in relation to thefollowing detailed description of embodiments of the invention, taken inconjunction with the drawings, in which:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of an attachment deviceand related bag according to certain aspects of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the milk storage container shown inFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an adaptor shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the adaptor shown in FIG. 1 attached to abreastpump assembly; and

FIG. 5 is a side view of an alternate embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

One embodiment of the invention is shown in an attachment arrangement ofFIG. 1. This type of attachment arrangement in the form of an adaptorand related bag is simply illustrative, and not intended to be limitingof the invention. Referring to FIG. 1, the attachment arrangement 100includes a bag 101 and an adaptor or base member 120. The bag 101receives and stores breastmilk pumped from a breastpump, such asbreastpump assembly 200 (shown in FIG. 4). The bag 101 itself is, exceptfor the special adaptation for attaching to the adaptor describedhereafter, fairly standard. It could be made in many ways known in theart, such as here, being comprised of a front sheet 102 and a back sheet104. The front and back sheets (sides) 102, 104 are made of a suitableliquid impervious food compatible plastic, such as polyethylene, asdescribed in U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2006/0074379, the contents of which areincorporated herein by reference.

The breastpump assembly 200 may be a manual breastpump, such as thebreastpump disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,727,182, the contents of whichare also incorporated herein by reference. Alternatively, the attachmentarrangement 100 may be used with an electric breastpump, such as U.S.Pat. Nos. 6,547,756 or 6,257,847, each of can be referred to for detailsof the breastpumping equipment in general. In this embodiment, thebreastpump assembly itself is not significant, in that the adaptor 120is intended to attach to a standard-issue breastpump assembly, e.g., abreastpump assembly that is manufactured for a bottle to be attachedthereto; FIG. 5, however, shows a modified breastpump assembly.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, the bag 101 further includes a top edge106, a bottom edge 108, and two side edges 110, 112. A gusset structurehaving seal 114 is formed near the bottom edge 108. The gusset structureis formed by conventional methods, e.g., by providing a folded panel ofpouch material adjacent the bottom edge 108 of the bag 101 and sealingthe material into a gusset structure. The gusset structure lendsstrength to the region and even the ability to stand the bag whenfilled.

A resealable or reclosable seal 116 is provided for access to the baginterior when in an open condition, and seals the bag when in a closedcondition. In one embodiment, the reclosable seal 116 is preferably a“zip” type closure or an equivalent, formed by attaching to either frontsheet 102 or back sheet 104, an extended male element above andessentially parallel to bottom edge 108, the male element being pressfit into a corresponding female channel-type element attached to theother of the front and back sheet 102, 104. A number of known designsexist for “male/female” zip-type closures. Some are designed to fastentogether to merely place a bag in a closed condition, and some aredesigned to retain fluids within the bag in a leak-proof fashion. Ofcourse, other mechanisms of sealing the bag are contemplated for use inthe present invention to seal the bag in a reclosable fashion.Reclosable seal 116 extends between side edges 110, 112 and is alsolocated below top edge 106. Thereby, when reclosable seal 116 is closed,the combination of reclosable seal 116, sealed side edges 110, 112 andsealed pouch bottom edge 114 define a generally rectangular bag pouch115 suitable for retaining fluids therewithin.

A portion of each of front sheet 102 and back sheet 104 extends beyondreclosable seal 116, respectively portions 102 a and 104 a. The bag 101also includes apertures 118, 119 located on the front and back portions102 a and 104 a, respectively. The apertures 118, 119 support the bag101 on the adaptor 120, which is described in detail below. Although theapertures 118, 119 are shown having a generally oval shape, it should beunderstood that the apertures may take any suitable shape, including asimple slit.

Bag 101 may further include a label area (not shown) located on theouter side of front sheet 102, of sufficient dimensions to allow forsome information to be provided on bag 101 regarding the contents in thebag, such as, for example, “DATE”, “VOLUME” and “NAME”, either bywriting directly on front sheet 102, or indirectly by adhering anoptional label at this location. Other locations for information may beprovided. Calibrated markings (not shown) as for milk volume mayadditionally be provided.

Referring to FIG. 3, the adaptor 120 connects the bag 101 to abreastpump assembly, such as breastpump assembly 200 shown in FIG. 4.The adaptor 120 may comprise a generally cylindrical or tubular shape,serving as a base member. Alternatively, the adaptor 120 may take anysuitable shape. The base member of the adaptor 120 extends below therecloseable seal 116 of the bag 101 to help prevent overflow of the bag101. The adaptor 120 includes at least one mounting element or ear 122for insertion through aperture 118 of the bag 101, but preferablyfurther includes a second mounting element or ear 124 for insertionthrough the second aperture 119 of the bag 101. It should be understoodthat the mounting elements 122, 124 may comprise ears, hooks, buttons,posts, protuberances, or any other suitable mounting element from whicha bag may hang. The mounting elements maybe located on opposite sides orareas of the adaptor 120.

The adaptor 120 attaches to the breastpump by a connector portion 126.In one embodiment, the connector portion 126 may be a threadedmechanism, match-threaded to a collar 201 of a standard breastpumpassembly. However, it should be understood that the connector portionmay comprise any suitable mechanism to secure the adaptor 120 to thebreastpump assembly, as long as the connector portion 126 and collar 201have cooperating connection mechanisms. The cooperating portionsreleasably mechanically connect the adaptor 120 to the collar 201 in anysuitable manner as long as a portion of the adaptor communicates with amilk outlet of the breastpump assembly.

Referring now to FIG. 4, a breastpump assembly 200 includes afunnel-shaped breast shield 202 that is sized and shaped for engagementwith at least a portion of a breast. Downstream from the breast shield202 is a cylindrical extension 204 which is connected (or connectable)to a receiving portion of a pump housing 206. Upstream and downstreamare used relative to milk flow in use of the invention. The pump housing206 includes a conduit structure (not shown) for conveying expressedbreastmilk from the breast shield 202, through extension 204 and outthrough an outlet 208 of the internal conduit structure. In the givenexample, this is a lever pump (manual) mechanism 210 connected to thehousing 206 to provide a cyclical negative pressure at the breast shield202. Further details of this pump mechanism 210 and associatedcomponents, including the conduit structure and related valving, such asvalve 212, as well as operation, can be gleaned from U.S. Pat. No.7,727,182. Again, the specific breastpump is incidental to the inventiveattachment arrangement in this embodiment using an adaptor 120.

In operation, the adaptor 120 is placed on the collar 201 of thebreastpump assembly 200. A user first places one mounting ear through abag aperture, then places the other mounting ear through the other bagaperture. The bag 101 is then securely attached to the breastpumpassembly opened and suspended beneath the conduit structure and outlet208 to collect milk during a pumping session.

Alternatively, the bag 101 could first be attached to the adaptor 120,and then the mounted bag is positioned on the breastpump assembly 200 byattaching the adaptor 120 thereto.

In another embodiment, shown in FIG. 5, mounting elements or ears 222,224 may be located directly on a breastpump 220, such as by moldingtherewith. Thus, no adaptor is used. The mounting ears 222, 224 areformed on the breastpump assembly in the vicinity of where milk wouldnormally exit from the breastpump assembly into a container at outlet226. The outlet 226 extends below the recloseable seal 116 of the bag101.

Thus, while the invention has been described herein with relation tocertain embodiments and applications, those with skill in this art willrecognize changes, modifications, alterations and the like which stillcome within the spirit of the inventive concept, and such are intendedto be included within the scope of the invention as expressed in thefollowing claims. For instance, while the bag has been described with aparticular aperture, other ways to yield an opening in the upper part ofthe bag are known in the art, such as slits, an area of perforationswhich can then be breached, a thinned portion which can be punctured,and so on. In a similar vein, while the bag has been described as beinghung from ears or hooks, other elements could fulfill the same function,such as buttons, pins, posts, and so forth.

Further, in an alternate embodiment, the adaptor 120 may comprise clipsor pins, for example, which attach to a standard milk collection bag. Inthis embodiment, the milk collection bag would not have apertures or anycorresponding mounting features.

1. A milk storage bag adapted to be attached to a breastpump assemblyhaving a connection mechanism adapted to attach an adapter to thebreastpump assembly, the adapter having opposing mounting ears extendingradially outward and beyond the connection mechanism, the milk storagebag comprising: side walls having respective first and seconddiametrically opposing apertures, the apertures adapted to respectivelyengage over the mounting ears, wherein the bag is attached to thebreastpump assembly by putting one mouting ear through the firstaperture and then putting the other mounting ear through the secondaperture and either before or after attaching the bag to the breastpumpassembly, attaching the adapter to the breastpump assembly.